Once Upon a Jaeger
by charjx
Summary: Pacific Rim AU -Liam and Killian Jones are Jaeger pilots of the Pegasus Endeavour. What happens when Liam dies from poisoning and Killian is left alone, unable to pilot and helpless to find his brother's murderer? Enter a certain feisty blonde, who bears a troubled past, but will she be the key to Killian's salvation?
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** **The brilliant and awesome characters from Once Upon a Time and Pacific Rim do not belong to me but to the show's excellent creators. This is my first time writing a serial (and crossover) FanFic so do let me know your thoughts on this. Comments and constructive criticisms are always welcomed! Don't forget to give your support follow/fav it if you like the story. Your support means the world. Enjoy =D**

Sirens began to blare. And that could only mean one thing to Killian Jones – an incoming Kaiju. Immediately opening his eyes, almost leaping out of his bunker bed, Killian glanced at his alarm clock displaying 02:30. _Kaijus sure know how to pick their time to make an entrance, _Killian thought to himself. The display screen on his desk came to life warning of the imminent Kaiju threat.

**Codename: CrocClaw**

**Category: 3**

_The first of its kind_. Killian breathed. He spun around expecting to find his brother and co-pilot Liam still fast asleep on the bed. _That guy can sleep through the apocalypse for all I know_. Except Liam wasn't in bed. Killian quickly pulled on a shirt and strolled out to search for his brother.

Killian and Liam are Jaeger pilots for the Pacific Defense Corps. Killian considered job as a noble and daring task as the last line of defense against the Kaijus, godzilla-like monsters that emerged from the mysterious portal beneath the Pacific sea. The first monster that emerged laid waste to over 10 states before it was taken down by vigorous means of every weapon possible. More than 10 million people lost their lives on K-day, including Killian and Liam's parents.

Surviving on their own in the foster system, Liam, being the elder of the two, had always taken to looking after Killian. In many ways, Liam was Killian's brother, partial parent and his best friend. Times were hard during the K-era and more often than not, Killian and Liam found themselves either in a fight to defend what little food or money they had, or sprinting down the streets being chased by angry shop owners for shop lifting. As hard as those times were, owners of nothing with monsters appearing to crush buildings now and again, Killian never truly felt despair, for he had Liam by his side. It was the two of them against the world, and they could accomplish anything.

Killian, almost sprinting, searched the corridors one by one for his egg-head brother. _Come on, Liam! This is the first Kaiju that's appeared in a few months._ For a time, Kaijus had stopped their brutal waves of attack. Four months of silence, no activity from these monstrous beings. Some even started to bear the tiniest hope that the worse was finally over. While the others at the Corps were taking the rare opportunity to party away, Killian had always believed that this was the calm before the storm. A man of discipline, he and Liam constantly parried with one another in training, maintaining good form for the imminent battle ahead. Liam had occasionally poked fun at Killian for being so uptight and serious about things. "_Brother, at the rate you're going, the only girlfriend you're gonna get is the Pegasus_," his brother's words echoed in Killian's head.

_The Pegasus_. Killian knew he had to get suited up for battle soon. _But where was Liam?_ Killian hoped his brother wasn't at the canteen downing a few drinks with the others. _Now is not the time to get sloppy brother, remember good form._ Killian then decided to head towards the hanger, hoping to meet Liam there. Just as he was about to take a right, a barrack door opened and Liam stepped out.

Killian was about to call out on his brother when he stopped himself short and hid behind the corridor's corner. _Wait. Isn't that -?_ A feminine figure stepped out and Liam leaned in to give her a kiss and whispered something that made her smile. Now, Killian was sure that the woman was none other than Milah, the wife of the Commander Gold, defacto leader of the Pacific Defense Corps.

Commander Gold is a shrewd man with shoulder length brown hair streaked with grey. Under his command, the Pacific defense has never been breached since its inception. As brilliant as he is, Killian knew that Gold is not a simpleton and he certainly is not somebody who forgives for messing with his wife. Killian had witnessed Gold unforgiving nature as he almost choked his staff to death for preparing an inaccurate report of past Kaiju sightings.

_Poor Malcom_, Killian thought of that staff clutching his reddening neck gasping for air from Gold's clutches. Killian had wanted to report the incident but Liam convinced him otherwise. "_What do you think will happen if you do that, Kil?"_ Killian recalled Liam yelling in hush whispers that night in their bunker. "_Gold's got the higher-ups' backing. He has one of the greatest defense track record in the region. Who's word do you think they are going to take? Yours or Golds'?_"

Killian had protested. "_This isn't right Liam. This is not what we do. We're supposed to protect people."_ Liam countered, _"and how do you suppose we do that when Gold kicks us out of the Corps? This. Serving as Jaeger Pilots. This is the mission of our dreams. A mission that will bring peace, and glory to the Jones brothers. A hero's journey. Just like we talked about when we were watching Jaegers take out those sons of bitches from the streets. Gold recruited us and for whatever reasons he may have had for hurting Malcom, I choose to believe in our Commander."_

Staring right into his brother's eyes, Killian knew his brother had made up his mind and there was no persuading him otherwise. Liam was stubborn that way. _Some hero's journey_. Sirens blared into his head with more urgency, jerking his thoughts back to reality, reminding him of the impending mission. _No time to ponder. The monster awaits._

Killian raced ahead, mind still confused but determined. He saw Liam already suiting up. _"Hey, where have you been Kil?"_ His brother asked. Killian did not answer and stepped in position to be suited up. Dark navy blue metal plates were fitted onto Killian, drilling in the pieces together. Liam glanced uncomfortably at him. Finally, two metal spine-like robotics were each fitted to their backs. The final helmet piece enabled data online function to go live in their circuitry suit. Once they were all set, the Jones brothers stepped into the control centre – their Jaeger's head. Monitors surrounded them as they both took their places, Liam controlling the left hemisphere and likewise Killian on its right.

Liam tapped Killian on his shoulder. _"Hey, err... before we do this...there's something I want to tell you first"._ For some reason, that statement made Killian seethed with anger. _How dare he? Why did you lie to me?_ But if there was one thing Killian knew as a Jaeger pilot, you cannot let your emotions get the best of you. So he took a deep breath and said, _"I know about Milah."_ Liam's eyes widened with shock. He obviously wanted to say something but their comm-links just went live.

_"Good morning, Jones brothers. How are we doing today?"_ came Malcom's voice, trying to sound cheery as usual before the big fight. "_We're just fine_," replied Killian. "_Securing the drop, Mr. Peterson?_" came Commander Gold's voice in the background. Malcom immediately stopped trying to make conversation and went back to business "_Commander Gold on deck. Getting ready for the drop Sir._"

Killian shot his brother a look. Surprisingly, Liam didn't seem to show the slightest hint of guilt or fear on his face even when the Commander came online. Liam glanced back at Killian and they both understood to keep quiet about it. It didn't matter really. They were about to dive into each other's thoughts soon enough. "_Commencing the drop_," informed Malcom.

Gears that were holding the Jaeger's head in place let it drop, along with the Jones brothers in it. The drop was fast but it had mechanisms holding it in place as to not let it crash. Killian always felt like the drop down from those theme park solero shot rides. The head was received and fitted perfectly with its body, forming the Pegasus Endeavour.

Towering over 312 feet tall, the Pegasus Endeavour was a Mark III Jaeger, which essentially was a giant robot piloted by two people built to kick some serious Kaiju ass. Up close, the Pegasus was truly a piece of work. Its dark navy blue shone in the night with gold colour shoulder blades and along its intersecting joints that draws focus towards its mechanical pistons, working together in unison with its pilots, like a one robot army ready for battle.

The Pegasus was rolled out into the sea like a giant tank. Malcom's voice appeared again, "_Beginning neural handshake now._" Killian and Liam jerked back slightly, taking in the neural handshake and begin operations in the Drift.

When the Jaeger programme found that it was not possible to use pilot a Jaeger single handedly, the Drift was designed to cater for a two pilot system where they mind melded with each other, sharing all their thoughts and memories with one another to pilot as one. To successfully drift together was no easy task, both candidates would need to fully accept each other's strengths and flaws as well as memories, complementing each other like yin and yang. That also meant that the stronger the bond between the pilots, the better you fight. Which is also why most Jaeger pilots are related, either as siblings or life partners.

Another side-effect that resulted in the Drift was the ability to intimately know one another's thoughts, feelings and emotions. While you can find strength and support in one another, you can also feel pain, not just emotionally but physical pain should a Kaiju strike your Jaeger. As an integrated system, the pain is almost instant as the Kaiju tries to take a bite of your hand. Pain in this scenario acts as a double-edge sword because it obviously hurts you but it can also make you react reflexively in battle. Killian had learnt to embrace the pain if it meant that you could drive a blade into the Kaiju faster than not realising the bastard had already bitten off a chunk of your armour without you feeling it at all.

_"Hey, Kil? I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Milah sooner,"_ came Liam's telepathic thoughts. _"Why Liam? Why Milah? You personally gave me a lecture on the sort of person Gold is, what he is capable of and yet here you are sneaking around cheating with his wife!"_ Killian replied Liam's thoughts in his head. _"Brother, I'm sorry-"_ began Liam.

_"You know I don't tolerate bad form Liam. Especially infidelity. Uugh...I don't even want to know what you did but I can't because I'm stuck in your head. What were you thinking-"_

_"I'm in love with her."_

Killian's mind froze. _Love? Was it possible to drive someone like Liam, whom Killian had always considered him to be the hero, to bad form? But how? Wasn't Milah suppose to love Gold since they married for god-knows-how-long? Isn't that the vow you make when you chose to spend your entire life with the one?_

_"Come on, Kil, talk to me. I know what's going on in your head,"_ urged Liam again telepathically.

Killian resumed their mind conversation. _"So tell me why" _

_"I love Milah, and she I. She stopped loving Gold a long time ago and now he's having an affair with his co-pilot Belle French."_

_Belle?_ Killian's mind whirled somemore as he knew his brother's words rang truth. Belle didn't strike him to be the sort of person stealing someone's husband away and having a brazen affair.

_"I don't know what to think of it anymore. I need time to sort this out."_ Killian let out a deep breath. _"Let's just focus on the battle at hand for now shall we?"_

_"Sounds good to me,"_ Liam said with a small smile.

From the Pegasus, they could see thunder clouds forming ahead above the ocean. Lightning began to strike. A storm was coming as the Pegasus Endeavour pressed on into battle.

**Author's note: So how did you find the first Chapter? Would you continue reading it? Because this is a crossover, the OUAT characters' history and relationships have been changed to give readers more twist and turns. Hope you enjoyed reading the story as much as I did writing it. =)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's note: Really sorry for the long wait to update. Between working and studying has not left me much time to do what I really like – telling stories. This chapter will be shorter than the previous one and it contains my first fight scene. Do let me know how it goes. And also a big THANK YOU for your wonderful feedback and support. You are the reason for me to keep writing.**

The Pegasus Endeavour waded deeper and deeper into the ocean. No sign of CrocClaw. Lightning was striking every now and then, followed by an almost deafening thunderous boom. Killian and Liam were piloting the Pegasus right in the middle of the storm. The Jaeger's heavy mass was keeping them steady in the choppy tidal water sloshed against them.

"_Hey, I can't see the kaiju anywhere. Do you see it?_" asked Killian. "_No, me neither. Malcom, any sign of the bastard?_" said Liam.

_"__It's moving towards you! And it's fast. -400 meters…300 meters…"_

"_There's no sign of it. That thing should be charging right at us now,_" said Liam.

"_Unless…It has learnt to adapt,"_ said Killian with a sickening realisation. Malcom was still counting down over the intercom _"200 meters…100 meters…"_

"_It's in the water! Prepare to brace for impact brother!_" yelled Killian, just as CrocClaw leaped out of the water right in front of the Pegasus. Its long jaw opened, revealing two rows of carnivorous teeth as it sank them into the Pegasus's left shoulder. Liam cried out in pain clutching his own left shoulder at the sudden ferocity. CrocClaw took advantage of the opportunity and slammed its full body weight onto the Pegasus, toppling the Jaeger, together with CrocClaw, teeth still sunk into the armour, into the water.

Pegasus struggled to loosen CrocClaw's grip over them with Liam still holding in the pain. Killian tapped his screen. The female intelligence voice came online [_Initialising retractable blades_]. Blades sliced out of the Jaeger's right hand. Killian slammed his right hand to the right, the Pegasus mimicking Killian's movements, and drove the blade into CrocClaw. To Killian's shock, the blade was barely an inch deep into the monster. Its thick hide was acting as its protective shield. But CrocClaw released its grip on the Pegasus nevertheless.

In full view now, the kaiju really lived up to its name as a Frankenstein version of a crocodile. CrocClaw had scally thick skin with blue glowing veins growing all along the body. It was the only thing that gave off light from the creature. Its yellowish teeth were big and resembled stones cavemen used to light up a fire. Up-close the kaiju looked massive, its size rivalling even the Pegasus.

_"__We need to get back up above water. Its strength is underwater,"_ commanded Liam. Killian nodded and they stood back up. Rain was pouring heavily, blurring their visor screen vision.

_"__Where is that bastard?"_ Liam tried scanning the waters but the storm was interfering with the accurate location. It didn't help that CrocClaw was a fast swimmer.

Out of the corner, Killian spotted a pair of yellow slit eyes heading towards the Pegasus left. The strong tidal waves camouflaging its body movements. "_There! To your left!_"

Pegasus Endeavour turned around as CrocClaw made another leap at the Jones' brothers. Killian's hand swung and clutched CrocClaw by the neck, temporarily immobilising the beast. [_Pistol Initialised. Target acquired. Engage pistol with target_]

_"__Now Liam!" _Liam fired the high velocity pistol into CrocClaw while the monster was struggling in Killian's grasp, trying desperately to claw its way out.

The pistol was shot. All ten rounds of it. Into CrocClaw's upper torso. Because of its heavy high velocity power, only a precious ten rounds fitted into the pistol, making it the Pegasus's last resort weapon. Bright glowing blue blood spurted out CrocClaw, who was roaring ferociously.

Liam began to yell in pain. "_aarrghhh…what's happening?_" Killian could feel the sudden immense pain through the mind meld that almost incapacitated him as well. He turned to see Liam collapsed to the floor.

Killian instinctively dropped CrocClaw and ran towards his brother. He took off Liam's helmet. Liam was shivering. Killian could see black veined marks growing rapidly from his brother's neck, moving onto his face. The robotic spine attached to the back of their suits kept the Drift intact. He could feel Liam's presence slowly fading away.

A searing pain course through Killian's right arm as though his hand had been ripped off. For a moment he was afraid that he too had been affected by whatever his brother was experiencing. He dismissed the assumption as he saw CrocClaw, who was apparently not quite dead but bleeding a lot of blue goo, with the Pegasus's arm in its jaws.

"_Malcom, we need backup,_" yelled Killian over the intercom desperately. "_Liam has been compromised. I don't know what it is. I can see black veins on him. It's growing fast. And CrocClaw is still alive._"

"_I'm on it Killian,_" responded Malcom. Commander Gold's voice came through the intercom, "_We're deploying Crimson Typhoon over to finish the kaiju._" And the line went dead.

"_Hello? Commander? Hello? Malcom? Anyone? HELLO?_" No response. CrocClaw was nowhere to be seen. Yet. _They abandoned us when we needed them most_. Killian cradled Liam in his arms. The black veins passed Liam's lips moving to his nose. It was beginning to affect his breathing as he gasped for air. His brother could barely speak but the Drift was still up.

"_Get out of here Kil. While you still can,_" pleaded Liam to Killian in their minds. Despite the pain, Liam's eyes stared straight at Killian. "_I can't leave you Liam. I can't,_" responded Killian desperately, tears wielding in his eyes. "_You'll be okay_."

"_We both know that I won't make it out of here. But you still can. Tell Milah that I love her. Stay strong brother and keep fighting the good fight._" Killian could feel Liam's emotions wash over him – pain, confused, regret, and love, for both Killian and Milah. Then, Killian felt an excruciating pain, as if someone forcefully tore his heart out from his body. Liam was gone. Killian knew it. Tears fell from Killian's face.

_Liam was right_. Killian had to stay strong and continue living for both of them. He vowed that he will seek vengeance upon his brother's killer. Killian reluctantly let go of Liam and began the sequence to eject himself out of the Pegasus.

Killian did not have much time left. CrocClaw was upon the Pegasus again, attempting a last ditch effort in destroying the Jaeger. [_Escape Pod Sequence Initiated_]. Killian stepped into his pilot position and was hoisted up into an escape pod. In the pod, a sleeping gas was induced to ensure minimal oxygen was used while the pilot was in the pod waiting for rescue. That was fine with Killian as he did not want to think or feel anymore. The gas took over and Killian fell into oblivion while the Pegasus Endeavour collapsed into the sea along with his brother.

**Author's end note: So how did you find it? If you can't quite imagine how the Pegasus Endeavour looks like, the rough mock up picture of the Jaeger is available on the blog .com. I basically modelled the Pegasus Endeavour to bear resemblance the Navy uniform. I used the Pacific Rim Jaeger design application to create the picture so the model is a rough mock up, not including the exact details written in the story due to the limited (but still awesome) choices provided by the app. As always please leave a review if you enjoyed it =) **


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